AL
East **tes: Ichiro, Tigers, Cervelli, Blue Jays
A year ago,
Jon Lester was coming off a poor season and his long-term future in Boston looked in doubt.* **w, as
Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald writes, Lester has rebuilt his career following a rebound season and a**ther World ****** ring, and it seems he's in position for a nine-figure contract from either the
Red Sox or a**ther club as a free agent next winter.* Lester and the Sox
have discussed an extension, and Lauber **tes that the Sox (for all their promising young arms on the farm) have **body who can replace Lester's 200 innings in 2015, so the club needs their star southpaw back.
Here's the latest from around the AL East...
- Yankees officials tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Tigers haven't asked about Ichiro Suzuki in the wake of Andy Dirks' injury.* Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski tells Sherman that his team is "**t actively seeking a big move," though they haven't decided if they'll use an internal or external player to platoon with Rajai Davis in left.
- Ichiro, for his part, had "**thing to say about" the subject of whether or **t he would want to play for a**ther team that could offer him more regular playing time.* “But as far as being part of [trade rumors], when I first came to New York, I knew it was something that happens here," Suzuki said.* "You have to be emotionally ready and prepare yourself for it."
- Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli seems somewhat torn between his desire for more playing time and his desire to remain with the Yankees.* "I’ve been here forever. I don’t have that answer right **w because this is, I feel like, my house," Cervelli told reporters, including Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.* "But if somebody wants me to go over there, I’ve got to make the adjustment. I told you guys many times that my dream is to be a starting catcher. Right **w, my role is a backup. That’s what I’m playing for. But I’m never going to stop because an opportunity is going to come again."* Cervelli has drawn interest from several teams (including the White Sox and Diamondbacks) as one of Yankees' backup catchers*could be traded to bring infield help to the Bronx.
- The Blue Jays' lack of success in obtaining starting pitching this offseason leads Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi to re-evaluate the team's decisions to **t tender a qualifying offer to Josh Johnson and*to pass on a potential trade for Brett Anderson due to medical concerns.
- According to some Red Sox players, Stephen Drew regrets **t accepting Boston's $14.1MM qualifying offer, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.* Drew has lingered on the free agent market in his search for a multiyear deal, and while the possibility of returning to the Sox as a veteran alternative for Xander Bogaerts or Will Middlebrooks seemed to have potential earlier this winter, the club seems to have moved on.* Red Sox veterans, Abraham writes, ** longer feel the team needs to re-sign Drew after seeing how Middlebrooks has conducted himself during Spring Training.
- ** matter how well the Rays perform on the field or how much they spend on payroll, Cork Gaines of Rays Index **tes that the team can't seem to top an average of 23,000 fans per game at Tropicana Field. Gaines speculates that even a World ****** title could only bump the Rays over that 23K attendance threshold for a season or two, at most.
AL East **tes: Ichiro< Tigers< Cervelli< Blue Jays